LMX and MLQ Leadership Questionnaires: A Personal Analysis
This paper examines the results of two widely used leadership assessment instruments—the LMX 7 Questionnaire and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) Form 5X-Short—as a foundation for articulating a personal leadership philosophy. The author analyzes how responses to both instruments reveal strengths and weaknesses in leader-member relationships and transformational leadership behaviors. Notable findings include an awareness gap regarding supervisor recognition and a tendency toward reactive rather than proactive management. The paper concludes that periodic administration of these tools can provide leaders and aspiring leaders with actionable feedback for continuous professional development.
- Introduction: Overview of assessment instruments and paper scope
- Purpose and Value of the LMX 7 Questionnaire: LMX 7 as framework for evaluating leader relationships
- Purpose and Value of the MLQ Form 5X-Short: MLQ benchmarks for understanding personal leadership philosophy
- Surprising Questionnaire Results: Unexpected insights on recognition and reactive leadership
- Implications for Personal Leadership Development: How results inform leadership growth strategies
- Conclusion: Ongoing use of instruments for leadership improvement
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What makes this paper effective
- Integrates two established assessment instruments (LMX 7 and MLQ Form 5X-Short) to ground a self-reflective leadership analysis in recognized scholarly frameworks.
- Balances objective instrument description with honest personal reflection, including candid acknowledgment of weaknesses such as reactive management tendencies.
- Connects individual self-assessment results to broader leadership theory, linking survey responses to Leader-Member Exchange Theory and Transformational Leadership concepts.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates evidence-based self-reflection: the author does not simply narrate personal opinions but anchors reflective claims to specific questionnaire items (e.g., "I wait for things to go wrong before taking action") and then interprets what those responses reveal about leadership behavior. This technique gives subjective reflection academic credibility.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by establishing the purpose of both instruments, then evaluates what the combined results reveal about personal leadership philosophy. A middle section highlights surprising or particularly thought-provoking results, with specific item-level examples. The conclusion argues for the ongoing, periodic use of these instruments as feedback mechanisms for leadership growth—a practical, forward-looking close that reinforces the paper's applied focus.
Introduction
This paper presents an analysis of the administration of the LMX 7 Questionnaire and the Sample Items from the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) Form 5X-Short, as found in the course text Leadership: Theory and Practice. An analysis of how responses to both questionnaires inform a personal leadership philosophy is followed by a description of any results that were surprising. Finally, the paper examines the potential impact that the characteristics of Leader-Member Exchange Theory and Transformational Leadership might have on a personal leadership style, and how these characteristics might help an individual become a more effective leader.
Purpose and Value of the LMX 7 Questionnaire
The results that emerged from the completion of the LMX 7 Questionnaire and the MLQ Form 5X-Short form the basis for a personal leadership philosophy—one that might not otherwise be formalized. Indeed, many, if not most, people go through their working lives without giving much thought to what style of leadership or followership they are practicing, and instead simply attempt to survive another day on the front lines.
By guiding respondents to articulate their thoughts concerning their relationships with their supervisors and followers, the LMX 7 Questionnaire serves as a useful framework for evaluating the quality of these relationships and identifying areas of deficiency that could benefit from attention.
References
LMX questionnaire. (2015). [University]. Retrieved from http://people.uncw.edu/nottinghamj/documents/slides6/Northouse6e%20Ch8%20LMX%20SURVEY.pdf
Multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ) form 5X-short. (2015). Mind Garden. Retrieved from http://www.mindgarden.com/16-multifactor-leadership-questionnaire
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